Entertainment

You Really Can’t Hide From Google Street View Anymore

While Google has been tightening its belt in some areas, attempting to photograph every square inch of the world for its Street View product doesn’t appear to be one of them. The company pushed out a massive update today, doubling the amount of terrain covered in the US.

In addition to incorporating street level photos from Memphis, Birmingham, and Charleston, Google added photos from several whole states that previously hadn’t been touched: Maine, West Virginia, and North and South Dakota. Here's a look at Street View's current coverage across America:

Much to my delight, you still can’t find my house, though you can at least see the highway exit for my small town. Is that of much value to anyone? I’m not so sure, but it’s a definite sign that Google is committed to making Street View as far-reaching as possible.

Ultimately, Google likely sees Street View as a big potential revenue driver and an important part of its mobile strategy, since Maps are such a logical fit for local advertising. However, it’s a good thing they started this project more than a year ago when times were a bit more frothy – such an expensive endeavor without immediate benefits to the bottom line would likely be on the chopping block if Google wasn’t already so pot committed.

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